Key scripture -“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.” (Isaiah 43:2).

The Key scripture today reminds me of when the Israelites were standing on the shore of the Red Sea, and what they must have been thinking with the sea in front of them and the Egyptian army advancing on them. I can imagine their distress because they were caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place.

“When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord… And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. ” (Exodus 14:10, 13-16).

The question that they probably had was, “Has God forgotten us?” It is the same question that visits each of us from time to time when everything around us seems to be crumbling: the loss of a job, broken relationships, the loss of loved ones, financial problems, a wayward child, just to name a few.

It’s during those times that we find it hard to trust an invisible God. Like the Israelites in their moment of distress, we do not know God’s plan; I know the Israelites were not expecting God to part the water before them, and we are just like them, because we do not know what God is going to do to solve our problem. We need to always remember not to limit God to our ideas and our ways because He is God and we are not and His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth,so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

No matter what you are facing today, the easy thing to do is to abandon your faith and become cynical. When those thoughts of defeat and discouragement fill your head you need to remember Moses’ exhortation and say it to yourself, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today… The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” (Exodus 14:13-14). God delights in carrying us through even the darkest of times. He is at work in your situation. Trust in Him, and allow this promise to Moses and the Israelites to strengthen your spirit today.

Trusting in God is not a passive state of mind. It is a vigorous act of the soul by which we choose to lay hold of the promises of God and cling to them despite the adversity that tries to overwhelm us.

So, fear not, stand firm and watch The Lord fight for you today.

Pray this – My Precious Heavenly Father, You are my helper and I proclaim, “Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. (Psalm 54:4). Many things are weighing me down but you know the one that is the most heavy on me, and I come before Your throne and I ask You to take this problem and intervene. Please guard me from responding to this situation inappropriately. Guard me from turning to my own ways and human wisdom. I know that You are near and You are my sustaining help. I am totally dependent upon You in every way. I know that if I seek You I will lack no good thing, and You will deliver me from all of my troubles. You are my refuge and my strength, my God in whom I can trust. “The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry; The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. The Lord will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.” (Psalm 34:10, 15, 17, 19-20, 22). No matter what is going on, no matter what I face, I will put all my weight on Your promises, I will cling to and focus on Your promises, not my feelings and emotions. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

 Laura Ingle